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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26095327">unless</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fakecharliebrown/pseuds/fakecharliebrown'>fakecharliebrown</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Arson, Artist Sugawara Koushi, As it should be, Baker Sawamura Daichi, Environmentalism, Happy Ending, I regret everything and nothing at the same time, IF I WANT TO WRITE A LORAX AU AS A COPING MECHANISM THAT IS BETWEEN ME AND MY COMPUTER, Iwaizumi Hajime Is So Done, M/M, Minor Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Mythical Beings &amp; Creatures, Nature, No Volleyball, Oikawa Tooru Being an Asshole, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, Sawamura Daichi in Love, Trees, also all of u bc im forcing u to look at it but to a lesser extent, i tagged the ppl who speak, oh right, oikawa invents jam</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:52:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,934</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26095327</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fakecharliebrown/pseuds/fakecharliebrown</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ukai closed his eyes, as if trying to remember. <i>“Beyond the edge of town where the grass never grows and the sun never shines, where the smog’s the only wind that blows and it’s impossible to tell time, lives the Grand King of Aoba Johsai.”</i>  He paused, clearing his throat. <i>“They say if you bring him a mirror compact and a piece of milk bread, he’ll make a pact and tell you a story that can’t be read. Between you and me, he’s the only one who knows where to find a tree.”</i> </p><p>“What?” Daichi asked, brows furrowed, but Ukai had already pressed the button to get the elevator moving again. </p><p>“That’s all I know,” Ukai said. “Seriously.”</p><p>or; in a world where everything is artificial and made of plastic, Daichi sets out on a mission to find out what happened to the real trees. And he's not just doing it because Suga wants one, and he's in love with Suga. Seriously. (Okay, maybe that's a little bit of his motivation.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>unless</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>yes this is a lorax au, no i am not sorry</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Daichi took a deep breath, shaking out his hand in an attempt to relieve some of the clamminess. It was just Suga, he reminded himself. He saw Suga almost everyday. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Huffing out an amused laugh at his own antics, Daichi reached forward to ring Suga’s doorbell. Suga’s doorbell tune was nicer than anybody else’s in the town of Karasuno, something Daichi knew for certain thanks to his job as a delivery boy at his mother’s bakery. Everybody had their own custom doorbell tune, but Suga’s mother was a musician and she composed theirs, with some creative help from Suga himself, which guaranteed that the happy, light-hearted tune was really the greatest. Daichi never tired of hearing it, even though it seemed he delivered something new to Suga’s home every day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The door opened a few moments after the tune ended, Suga pulling it open with a smile on his face. His eyes brightened at the sight of Daichi, crinkling up slightly at the corners. “Daichi!” he greeted. “Good morning!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi grinned, reaching into the bag at his hip to produce the Sugawara family’s order. He handed it to Suga, who took it gratefully. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks!” he said. “My mom really likes those—those—oh, I can’t remember what they’re called. It’s a pastry, I know that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi laughed. “You’ll have to be more specific, Suga,” he said. “Pastries are kind of my family’s whole thing.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suga laughed, too, his head tipping back just slightly. He looked best when he was smiling, in Daichi’s opinion. “Wait,” Suga said, casting looks up and down the street as if to make sure nobody else was listening, “I have to show you something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi blinked. “Oh—what is it?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he didn’t get an answer, for in lieu of a response, Suga grabbed Daichi’s wrist and yanked him into the house, closing the door behind him. Daichi had never been inside Suga’s home before, and he glanced around at the decorations as Suga dragged him through several rooms and down a hall until they came upon another door—the back door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s back here,” Suga said, bringing them to a stop in front of the door. “Promise not to tell anyone about this, okay?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi frowned. “Suga, what are—”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just promise,” Suga repeated. “Please?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi stared at him, but he couldn’t find anything in his expression that indicated his intentions were all that negative. He supposed Suga could be showing him something private, but Daichi couldn’t figure out what that would be; nothing was private in Karasuno—that was just how it worked. There were too many people living in town and too many businesses and other attractions for there to be space. The Sugawara family was lucky in the sense that their home backed up to one of the walls around the city’s borders, giving them more privacy than most other people would ever have. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please, Daichi?” Suga asked, squeezing his wrist slightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi sighed. “Fine. I promise.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suga brightened, excitedly throwing the door open and yanking Daichi out to the backyard. He ran out to about the halfway point between the house and the wall—which wasn’t all that far, mind you—then yanked Daichi to lay on the ground. The artificial grass beneath them was stiff and uncomfortable, but, hey—it was home. As all the billboards said: the artificial was what made it unique! </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi glanced at Suga. “What are we doing on the—” He trailed off at the look on Suga’s face, who was staring up at the back of his house. Daichi followed his gaze and choked on his tongue. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a painting on the back of the house. Suga was an artist; Suga must’ve been the culprit for the painting. But the painting itself wasn’t what took Daichi’s breath away; he was amazed by what the painting was </span>
  <em>
    <span>of. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The background was blue, more vibrant than the color of the sky on the brightest and clearest days, with fluffy white clouds that looked nothing like the thick layer of smog in the air. They looked so </span>
  <em>
    <span>pure, </span>
  </em>
  <span>like cotton candy or the synthetic stuffing in a child’s plush toy. And in the foreground of the painting was grass, but it wasn’t the stiff plastic stuff the two of them were laying on. Daichi had never seen real grass, wouldn’t have been able to describe it if someone threatened his life, but he had a feeling that Suga had painted a grassy field full of real, long, green grass. The grass was peppered with flowers, </span>
  <em>
    <span>real flowers, </span>
  </em>
  <span>of all shapes and all sizes and all colors. In the distance, just before the grass met the horizon, Daichi spotted what he thought might’ve been—</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re trees,” Suga murmured. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Real </span>
  </em>
  <span>trees. With leaves, and everything.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi furrowed his brow. “Not—plastic?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suga hummed. “Not plastic.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Daichi breathed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suga hummed again, tilting his head to the side just slightly and bumping his shoulder against Daichi’s. Daichi tore his eyes away from the painting to face the other boy. “I would give </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything </span>
  </em>
  <span>to see a real tree,” Suga whispered. “But—I’ve looked. There’s not a single real, living tree in all of Karasuno.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Daichi said again, this time for lack of anything else to say. Suga really was very pretty, he thought, unable to look away from the boy laying beside him, even though all of Suga’s attention was focused on the house. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If someone could find a tree,” Suga mused, “I don’t know what I’d do.” He laughed. “I’d probably propose to them on the spot, except clearly they’d be too good for me because they found a </span>
  <em>
    <span>tree.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nobody’s too good for you,” Daichi blurted before he could stop himself, and promptly flushed redder than any of the flowers in Suga’s painting. Suga glanced at him, his own blush peppering his cheeks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, Daichi,” he chuckled, “you don’t know what you’re saying.” After a beat passed in silence, just when Daichi was about to apologize and take it back,” Suga said, “Don’t you have any more deliveries to make? I shouldn’t keep you any longer.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi allowed himself to be pulled to his feet and led back to the front of the house, where he’d left his bike. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for the delivery,” Suga said as Daichi descended the stairs leading to the front door. Just as Daichi was pulling out the helmet for his scooter, he heard the other boy say, “I’m sure my mom will be happy to have gotten her daily fill of peach-plum pastries.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi stiffened, whipping around to look at Suga, but he’d already closed the door and gone back inside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He said he didn’t know what they were called,” Daichi breathed. “Why’d he lie?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His phone buzzed in his pocket, reminding him that other people were waiting on the pastries, which were likely looking considerably less pretty now that they’d been jostled around during Daichi’s detour to Suga’s backyard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Neither of his parents were home when Daichi arrived back at the house, but there was a familiar delivery truck parked outside the apartment complex. Daichi lowered the kickstand on his bike and removed his helmet, tucking it under his arm as he headed into the building. He considered taking the stairs, as a little extra exercise, but ultimately decided against it and headed toward the elevator, pressing the button for his floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Someone else slipped into the elevator just before the doors closed, and Daichi glanced up mid-text to his mother to see Asahi, the son of the upstairs neighbor and Daichi’s best friend, standing a tad awkwardly near the control panel. Daichi felt an amused tugging at his lips despite the thought of Suga’s desired and apparently nonexistent tree weighing on his mind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Asahi,” he greeted. Asahi jumped slightly, turning to glance over his shoulder and offer Daichi a small wave. “You know you can say hi, right?” Daichi asked, raising an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Asahi shrugged, even as he stepped back and closer into Daichi’s space. After having known each other for the last seventeen years of their lives, the polite distance that was customary between strangers didn’t apply to the two of them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t want to bother you,” Asahi explained. “You seemed kind of preoccupied with your phone.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right,” Daichi said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not lying!” Asahi insisted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi laughed, clapping a hand on Asahi’s shoulder. “I know, I know. When are you gonna get used to my teasing?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When you stop being so scary,” Asahi mumbled, but he didn’t really seem all that bothered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi finished the text and sent it off before he slid his phone into his pocket. “I was just texting Mom to let her know I finished early. You know, I saw Suga today, and the strangest thing happened.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Asahi opened his mouth to respond, but he was cut off by the sound of the elevator doors opening on the third floor. Daichi lived on the eighteenth floor, and Asahi the nineteenth, so their elevator rides usually lasted quite a while. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The artificial air delivery man stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for the fourteenth floor. Daichi recognized him by his dyed blond hair; Ukai was the only one who ever made deliveries to their building. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Afternoon, Ukai,” Daichi greeted. “Almost done for the day?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ukai grunted. “Got another street after this one, some kid’s little sister kicked over the air canister I delivered this morning.” He ran a hand through his hair, muttering, “Always something with that Hinata family.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Hinata family. They seemed to like anything and everything orange flavored, but Daichi delivered the occasional pink dessert to them, too, for the little girl. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The three of them lapsed into silence for a few moments. Daichi’s mind returned to Suga and his trees, his impossibly beautiful and alluring and extinct trees, and before he knew what he was doing, he’d started talking again. “Say, Ukai, you seem like the type to know things.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ukai grunted again. “Is that a compliment?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Asahi laughed, but he leaned closer to Daichi and whispered, “Is it?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi ignored the both of them and continued, “Do you know where to find a tree?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure I do,” Ukai said. “Sell ‘em at the Shimada mart for nine bucks a pop. 96 required batteries not included.” He frowned. “Not sure what an apartment kid like you wants with a tree, seeing as you don’t have a yard, but, y’know. Live your dreams, and all that inspirational shit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Daichi said. “I mean a </span>
  <em>
    <span>tree. </span>
  </em>
  <span>A real one, not something made of plastic and lightbulbs and 96 required batteries.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The elevator fell impossibly still. Daichi half-thought even the ambient background music had cut short, though it usually played too quietly for him to really tell. After a beat, Ukai lurched forward and hit the stop button on the control panel, bringing the elevator car to an abrupt halt. He whirled around, wide-eyed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The hell are you talking about?” he demanded. “Ain’t no such thing as a real tree. Real plants don’t exist anymore, Sawamura.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi eyed him. “Then why’d you stop the elevator?” he asked. “Why all the fuss about a myth?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Daichi,” Asahi murmured. “What are you doing?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi waved him off, holding eye contact with Ukai. “You know something,” he declared. It wasn’t a question.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ukai glared down at him for several seconds, before finally he scowled and averted his eyes. “Fucking—what right’s a kid like you got being so intimidating?” he muttered. “Fine. I do know something about trees. But you gotta watch what you’re saying—you never know who might be listening around here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi crossed his arms over his chest. “What do you know?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ukai sighed. “I don’t know what happened to them, mind you. But I know who does.” He glanced over at Daichi, but upon seeing that Daichi wasn’t going to back down, he looked away again. “He was called the Grand King,” he said. “I don’t know if he called himself that or if the title was given to him, but—that was the name of the guy who knows about trees.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How can I find him?” Daichi asked. He could feel Asahi radiating anxiety from behind him, but he decided to ignore it for the moment. He’d fill Asahi in later. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can’t,” Ukai dismissed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re lying,” Daichi said, but he was only guessing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ukai’s scowl deepened. “You’re really annoying, you know that? God, you’re just like that stupid Takeda and his neverending cheerfulness.” He shook his head, caught in a memory for a moment before he remember himself and the conversation. “Yeah, I know where to find him. But I’m telling you, kid, you don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>want </span>
  </em>
  <span>to find this guy. The place where he lives—it ain’t pretty.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi raised an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ukai rolled his eyes. “Of </span>
  <em>
    <span>course </span>
  </em>
  <span>you want to find him. Why this sudden interest in trees? Last week you only wanted to know what the fake fruit juice is going for at my ma’s store.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Asahi piped up. “Why </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>you care about trees all the sudden?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not important,” Daichi dismissed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ukai eyed him. “It’s for your crush, isn’t it?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi flushed. “What? No.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, what does Suga have to do with trees?” Asahi asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ukai laughed. “You actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>have </span>
  </em>
  <span>a crush? I was just making fun of you, I can’t believe I was right!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is not about Suga!” Daichi protested. “Tell me where to find the Grand King.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine, fine,” Ukai said, waving a hand. “There’s some shitty rhyme for it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s the rhyme?” Daichi asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ukai closed his eyes, as if trying to remember. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Beyond the edge of town where the grass never grows and the sun never shines, where the smog’s the only wind that blows and it’s impossible to tell time, lives the Grand King of Aoba Johsai.”  </span>
  </em>
  <span>He paused, clearing his throat. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>They say if you bring him a mirror compact and a piece of milk bread, he’ll make a pact and tell you a story that can’t be read. Between you and me, he’s the only one who knows where to find a tree.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Daichi asked, brows furrowed, but Ukai had already pressed the button to get the elevator moving again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s all I know,” Ukai said. “Seriously.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi could tell that it was the end of the conversation. The elevator music filtered back in through the overhead speaker, and a minute later, Ukai bid them a clipped goodbye on the fourteenth floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As soon as the doors closed behind him, Asahi turned to Daichi. “Okay, what is this about?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was no lying to his best friend, Daichi knew that. “Suga said he wants a tree,” Daichi told him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Asahi didn’t look satisfied with that answer. “What </span>
  <em>
    <span>else </span>
  </em>
  <span>did he say?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi flushed. “He said he’d marry anybody who could get him a tree.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Asahi nodded, smirking slightly. “Now </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>I believe is the truth.” He paused, his worried expression returning. “But—really, Daichi? Are you sure you want to do all of this for a crush?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not just for Suga,” Daichi replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Asahi frowned. “Daichi, come on.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not!” Daichi repeated. “I just—I want to know, too, you know? I mean, trees must’ve been everywhere at one point, and now there’s not a single one in all of Karasuno. Don’t you wonder what happened to them?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Asahi’s eyes shifted. “I mean—no. I can’t say I really care all that much. But, uh—how are you even going to get out of deliveries to go find your mystical Grand King?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi glanced at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Asahi’s eyes widened. “Oh—no. Daichi, no. I mean it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“C’mon,” Daichi wheedled. “Please?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>No,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Asahi insisted. “I won’t let you drag me into this scheme!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How did I let you drag me into this scheme?” Asahi asked, sounding very tired as Daichi made sure the bag of pastries was fastened, the clasp keeping it closed good and tight. He snagged the bag with the milk bread for the Grand King, then stepped back toward his bike. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Asahi,” he said. “I really appreciate it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Asahi’s face crumpled. “C’mon, you can at least let me stay mad at you. Why do you have to be so genuine and nice?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi laughed. “The route’s pretty simple,” he reminded his friend. “I’ll be back before sundown.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What am I supposed to tell your mom?” Asahi asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi kicked up the kickstand, fastening his helmet and starting the bike. “Don’t know,” he replied. “Sure you’ll think of something. Thanks again!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With that, he sped away, even as Asahi cried out for him to wait. He knew his friend could think of something; for all of his anxieties, Asahi wasn’t helpless. And Daichi wouldn’t have let Asahi get involved with this whole plot if he really thought his friend couldn’t handle it, or even that it would be that problematic for him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi veered off the main road, knowing that if he took a series of back alleys, he could reach the wall bordering town. Ukai hadn’t said much in terms of location, but Daichi was taking a wild guess that by ‘outside of town’ he meant beyond the big, ugly metal wall with the light up sign declaring that it was Karasuno. Plus—if the land was as barren and hideous as Ukai made it out to be, a house would stick out like a sore thumb, even if it wasn’t sky-high like the ones in town. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It took a while, but Daichi reached the wall by mid-morning. He frowned, lifting the visor on his helmet to search for an exit. Every metal panel seemed bolted to another, as if there really was no way out. Daichi wouldn’t even be surprised if that was the case; there was something very ‘we don’t need anything or anyone but what we already have’ about everything they did here. Daichi had never really had a problem with it before, but with the fate of the trees weighing on his mind, he was starting to feel a lot less satisfied with what he’d been spoon-fed by a million infomercials and ads and billboards all his life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then he spotted it: a door, about ten meters above the ground with no clear way of getting up there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Daichi said. “Isn’t that convenient?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He scanned the wall, until he found what looked like a disguised control panel within reach. He pried it open, coughing as years of dust and other substances were freed when the door finally broke off from where it’d been rusted to the rest of the wall. There was only one thing behind it:  a big red button just </span>
  <em>
    <span>begging </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be pushed. Daichi pressed the button with an audible click, then jerked back as a sharp metal slat suddenly jutted out from the wall and nearly took his head off. Several more followed it, until a large platform appeared beneath the door and Daichi realized they were steps. He revved his bike, reversing quickly before he drove forward faster than was probably safe to get enough momentum to get on the steep stair incline without sliding backward and falling. The door, similar to the control panel, didn’t want to open after years of disuse and disrepair, but after enough tugging, it budged open with a horrible shriek of metal scraping metal. Daichi winced, checking to make sure he still had everything before he drove through the door and left Karasuno behind him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His first thought was that Ukai had been right—this wasn’t pretty. It was even worse than anything Daichi had imagined; the land as far as the eye could see was grey, cracked, and dead. The sky was covered with a thick blanket of smog, so dark that he couldn’t even see the sun no matter how he searched. In Karasuno, even though it was all fake, at the very least there’d been color in the plastic grass and light bulb trees. Here, though, Daichi felt as though someone had de-saturated the whole world. This couldn’t be real, could it? This </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be as artificial as everything else in Karasuno. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But, Daichi glanced back at the wall he had left behind, the </span>
  <em>
    <span>town </span>
  </em>
  <span>he had left behind, and he realized that this </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>fake. This was more real than anything in all of Karasuno. And it was devastating. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turned his eyes forward. Just as he’d theorized, there was only one house visible along the horizon, but it seemed to be a fairly far drive. Daichi wondered if he’d be able to make his own curfew of sundown. He hoped so. He didn’t want to worry Asahi anymore than was necessary.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Setting his lips into a grim line, Daichi set out for the house where the Grand King (hopefully) still lived. He wondered, idly, as the monotonous landscape passed by, how anybody could stand to live out here completely on their own for so long. There was </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing </span>
  </em>
  <span>here. Daichi thought he might’ve been driven out of his mind by all of this grey and death. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi parked his bike a few feet away from the house, stepping up to the front door and lifting his hand to knock. He paused when he noticed the doorbell, and he rang that instead. It was the most boring tune he’d ever heard, just two simple notes, whereas everyone back in Karasuno had their very own jingle. Again, he wondered how old this house was, how old the Grand King was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a few seconds passed with nothing happening, Daichi rang the bell again. That seemed to spur everything into action, for the next several events happened rather quickly. The door flipped, revealing a very large mallet attached to a spring on the other side. Daichi had a split second to jump out of the way, colliding with the ground painfully as the mallet slammed into the porch and sent the wood planks splintering through the air. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What the fuck,” Daichi breathed, as everything settled back into eerie silence. He turned his gaze to the only visible window in the house, though even that was boarded up. For all intents and purposes, it didn’t seem like anybody had lived here for a very, very long time. “What was </span>
  <em>
    <span>that?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was your cue to </span>
  <em>
    <span>leave!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>a voice hollered. It sounded—young. A lot younger than Daichi had been counting on. Trees were old, so shouldn’t the last person who knew what happened to them be old, too? Or was he just reading too far into it? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not leaving!” Daichi replied, standing up and brushing the dust from his clothes. “I want to know what happened to the trees!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a pause. “Why?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because,” Daichi said. “Trees existed at one point. Trees were </span>
  <em>
    <span>everywhere. </span>
  </em>
  <span>And now—there’s not a single living tree in all of Karasuno. And I want to know why.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But you’re just a kid,” the disembodied voice said. Daichi could tell now that it was coming from the window. “What do you care about trees?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“By the sound of your voice,” Daichi said, “you’re a kid, too.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The voice laughed. “Oh, I’m no kid. But—do you have the fee?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Daichi told them, reaching for the bag of milk bread and pulling the compact out of his pocket. “But what do you need with this stuff, anyway?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A bucket was produced from the window, lowered down on a rope. “Put the stuff in the bucket, please.” Daichi did as told. “And—I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>need </span>
  </em>
  <span>it. I want it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fair enough. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s your name anyway?” the voice asked, a few seconds after a disembodied hand reached between the boards on the window and claimed the contents of the bucket. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sawamura Daichi,” Daichi told them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nice to meet you, Daichi,” the voice said, apparently already familiar enough to use Daichi’s given name. Daichi didn’t read into it. “Now, the trees. I suppose I should start from the beginning, which was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>long time ago.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi sat down and waited for them to begin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru was not intending to be rich when he moved out of Miyagi. He left Miyagi in favor of the forested fields beyond the prefecture because the fields were where the plumberry trees grew, and their fruits were ideal for making jam. Plumberry jam was going to be the next hit thing in the Miyagi markets, Tooru was sure of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first thing he saw once he finished setting up his tent home in the plumberry fields was a fox. A small one, by the looks of it, but a fox nonetheless. It was watching him curiously, its fluffy head tilted to the side as it sat in front of his door and waited for him to leave. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru crouched down. “Hey, buddy,” he greeted. “What’s going on?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fox sniffed the air curiously before slowly advancing toward him. Tooru had never seen anything like this; back in Miyagi all animals were either domesticated or afraid of humans. Out here, Tooru supposed the wildlife must not be afraid because they didn’t have reason to be; they’d never seen a human before, and therefore didn’t feel an urge to run away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fox came right up to him, sniffing his knees and shoving its head under his hand to be pet. Tooru laughed, obliging its silent demand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Needy thing, aren’t you?” he asked. The fox made a noise Tooru supposed must’ve been an agreement. “That’s okay. I was, too.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a few minutes, the fox ran off, leaving Tooru alone. Tooru sighed and stood up, going back to grab his ax. There were plenty of plumberries to harvest, after all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He made quick work of preparing the nearest plumberry tree to be cut down, and eventually became so focused that he never even noticed the fox returning to stand at his heels as he made the first cut. In the distance, a flock of birds took flight and fled in response to the ax’s disruption of their peaceful afternoon. Four strokes later, the plumberry tree fell onto its side. Tooru straightened up, wiping sweat from his brow and pulling out his basket, crossing over to the tree to pick the plumberries that had survived the fall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once his basket was filled, Tooru glanced up, only to see the fox cowering behind a nearby tree, its brown eyes flitting between Tooru’s ax and the tree stump. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey there,” Tooru greeted, frowning when he saw the fox flinch back. There was another animal standing near the fox, but Tooru wasn’t sure what kind it was and he didn’t want to risk scaring the poor creatures anymore than he already had. “Sorry if I scared you. Need the plumberries closer to the ground so I can pick them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fox turned and ran off, the other animal hot on its heels. At second glance, Tooru saw that it was a tanuki, but—were tanuki even native to Miyagi? Or Tohoku? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru shrugged, picking up his basket and heading back to his house. These plumberries were perfect for his jam. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And he only felt a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little </span>
  </em>
  <span>bad about cutting down that tree and scaring those poor animals. That was just the circle of life, wasn’t it? He wasn’t doing anything wrong.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The plumberry field, as it turned out, was perfect for just about everything. Tooru had never felt more relaxed as he picked the stems off of each plumberry to prepare them to be mashed. He could hear birds chirping back and forth in the distance, working together to compose a sweet melody. Every once in a while, he glanced up from his work to see wild animals running around and playing outside his window, darting between the trees in a kind of eternal hide-and-seek. It was nice, living here. Much nicer than the chaos of Miyagi. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then there was a knock on his door, jolting him out of his peaceful reverie. Tooru frowned and glanced up, turning to look at his door. After a few moments, whoever it was knocked again, sounding more impatient the second time around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, dipshit!” a voice called. “Open your door! I know you’re in there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru stood and crossed to the door, frowning down at the man standing on the other side. “That’s not a very polite way to greet someone, you know.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “Why did Hanamaki and Matsukawa come running to tell me that some dipshit chopped down one of </span>
  <em>
    <span>my </span>
  </em>
  <span>trees?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru blinked. “Hanamaki? Matsukawa? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Your </span>
  </em>
  <span>trees?” He furrowed his brow. “They’re not your trees; nobody lives out here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No shit,” the man snapped. “I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>own </span>
  </em>
  <span>them. I speak for them. That’s how being the fucking Forest Guardian works, dumbass.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru’s frown deepened. “You really have a dirty mouth, you know that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ‘Forest Guardian’ scowled. “That’s not the point, fuckwad. Tell me why you chopped down my tree.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru leaned his hip against the doorframe, perching his hand on the other hip. “For the plumberries.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “And you couldn’t have just picked them like a normal person? You had to mutilate the forest?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru shrugged. “They’re too hard to reach. This was faster. I don’t get what the big deal is; it’s just one tree.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is it just one tree?” the man challenged. “Or is it just the first?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru stared. “What’s the difference?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man blinked at him for several seconds, before he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Look, pal, here’s the deal: you pack up and leave, and nobody cuts down anymore of the trees.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How does that benefit me?” Tooru asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t,” the man retorted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then it isn't much of a deal, is it?” Tooru said. He spun on his heel, heading back into his house. “It’s been lovely talking to you, Mr. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Forest Guardian</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but I have work to do.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man shoved his foot between the door and the frame, keeping Tooru from closing the door fully. “This forest is a </span>
  <em>
    <span>habitat. </span>
  </em>
  <span>You can’t just come in here and start chopping things down like you own the place!” He paused. “And I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am </span>
  </em>
  <span>the Forest Guardian.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you have magic?” Tooru asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man blinked. “Do I—what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you have magic?” Tooru repeated. “A Forest Guardian would have magic powers. If you’re really the guardian of this forest, do some magic to prove it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A muscle twitched above the man’s eyebrow. “It doesn’t work like that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A likely story,” Tooru hummed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care if you believe me,” the man huffed. “Bottom line is that you need to </span>
  <em>
    <span>leave. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Go back to whatever city you oozed out of and leave this innocent forest alone. Got that?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Tooru quipped. “It’s really been quite lovely, but I do have work to do. Bye-bye now!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He slammed the door, then locked it for good measure. Outside, he could hear the man who claimed to be a Forest Guardian pounding on the door and yelling at him, so Tooru drew the blinds on his window and set to work ignoring him. It wasn’t nearly as peaceful as the afternoon had been before this ‘Forest Guardian’ showed up, but he could live with that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where does he get off?” Tooru muttered, mashing a few plumberries to start the jam. “I’m not doing anything </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong. </span>
  </em>
  <span>There’s a million trees out here! The stupid little woodland creatures aren’t going to miss </span>
  <em>
    <span>one.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The pounding of his masher drowned out the Forest Guardian’s shouts, until Tooru realized that they’d tapered off. He peeked out his window, moving the blinds slightly to the side, only to see the Forest Guardian solemnly arranging a ring of stones around the tree stump Tooru had cut down mere hours ago. That same little fox sat at his heels, the tanuki sitting behind it, both of them staring at the stump with palpable sadness in their eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, the scent of his plumberry jam made Tooru sick to his stomach. Those—those innocent creatures were so </span>
  <em>
    <span>sad. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Did </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>do that? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fox looked up, and its eyes seemed to see right through to Tooru’s soul. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” Tooru whispered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fox turned away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That evening, Tooru woke to the scent of smoke filling his home. He opened his eyes, jerking to a sitting position only to see that nearly his whole home had been engulfed in flames. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he cried. “Did I leave the stove on? Wait, I don’t have a stove! What the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A voice drifted in from outside his home, barely audible over the crackling of the fire and Tooru’s own screaming. “Hey! Tree killer!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru’s head snapped over in the direction of the voice. That could only be the stupid Forest Guardian talking to him. “What the fuck happened?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have to get out of there!” the Forest Guardian called back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru scrambled further up the bed as the flames licked the edges of his mattress. “Would if I could!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck, this wasn’t supposed to happen!” the Forest Guardian lamented. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is this </span>
  <em>
    <span>your fault?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tooru snapped, incredulous. “You tried to </span>
  <em>
    <span>burn me alive? </span>
  </em>
  <span>What the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>what I meant to do!” the Forest Guardian retorted. “You have to try and get to the window or something!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow, if only I had thought of that,” Tooru drawled. “I’ll just run across the flaming floor to the flaming window and set myself on fire. Great plan, great idea.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t need your attitude!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t need you to burn down my house!” Tooru spat. “But we’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>well past </span>
  </em>
  <span>that!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck,” the Forest Guardian cursed. “Okay, just, stay put and we’ll go get some water.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Get a fucking river,” Tooru called back, watching as the flames slowly devoured nearly all of his furniture. And his one and only jar of plumberry jam. Fuck the Forest Guardian. Fuck this forest. Tooru was going home as soon as he got out of this fucking death trap of a house fire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A sudden sound to his left drew his attention, and Tooru glanced over at his window only to see—</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Was that the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fox? </span>
  </em>
  <span>And was it </span>
  <em>
    <span>crawling in through the window? </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Tooru shrieked, diving to catch the animal before it hit the ground. The edge of his bed frame dug in painfully to his ribs, but he ignored it in favor of bringing the fox onto the bed with him. “What are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>doing?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he exclaimed. “Don’t you know it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>dangerous </span>
  </em>
  <span>in here?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fox nuzzled at his neck, placing a paw against his chest and curling in close. Tooru sighed, clicking his tongue. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop that,” he chastised. “Don’t make me love you when I’m trying to be mad at you. Don’t you know how rude that is?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few moments later, the Forest Guardian yelled, “Are you still alive in there?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah!” Tooru hollered back. “And some stupid fox crawled in through the window!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck!” the Forest Guardian cried. “I knew Makki was missing! Mattsun, why didn’t you tell me?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just get us out of here!” Tooru interrupted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right! Okay, stay away from the door!” the Forest Guardian instructed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow, if only I had thought to stay away from the flaming door,” Tooru drawled. “How do you keep coming up with these ingenious ideas?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Makki the fox made a soft snickering sound Tooru swore was laughter. The Forest Guardian either didn’t hear him or elected to ignore him, for in the next moment he had kicked the door open and tossed a bucket of icy water into the room. It smothered a small stream of flames near the door, but overall was ineffective. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Amazing,” Tooru said. “My hero.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I hate you,” the Forest Guardian muttered, taking another bucket of water from Mattsun the tanuki at his side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Feeling’s mutual,” Tooru retorted, hugging Makki closer to his chest as the Forest Guardian dumped bucket after bucketful of water on his home. It took what felt like an hour to finally put out the last of the fire, leaving Tooru’s home a charred and slightly flooded shell of what it used to be. Makki wriggled free from Tooru’s grasp, pressing his nose against Tooru’s cheek before he leaped onto the floor and darted out the door, tackling Mattsun down onto the grass. Mattsun seemed similarly happy to see him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru dragged his eyes away from the cute little animal reunion to gape at the Forest Guardian still standing in his doorway holding a now-empty bucket. “What the fuck?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Forest Guardian finally seemed to snap out of his trance and straightened up, setting the bucket down beside him. “Funny story. You’ll laugh.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru narrowed his eyes. “What did you do.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was only trying to warn you,” the Forest Guardian said. “By burning the tree you cut down. How was I supposed to know your house would catch fire, too?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru stared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” the Forest Guardian said. “It was an honest mistake.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look at what you did,” Tooru hissed. “This was my </span>
  <em>
    <span>house. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I </span>
  <em>
    <span>live here. </span>
  </em>
  <span>What the fuck am I supposed to do now?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The animals live in those trees!” the Forest Guardian retorted. “That’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>their </span>
  </em>
  <span>home! And you were gonna cut it all down! I had to get rid of you somehow.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you nearly </span>
  <em>
    <span>killed me?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tooru shrieked. “I don’t even know your </span>
  <em>
    <span>name! </span>
  </em>
  <span>You don’t even know </span>
  <em>
    <span>my name! </span>
  </em>
  <span>You were going to </span>
  <em>
    <span>kill me </span>
  </em>
  <span>without even knowing my </span>
  <em>
    <span>name!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Iwaizumi Hajime,” the Forest Guardian replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru glared. “Fuck off.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iwaizumi quirked an eyebrow. “That’s your name?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I hate you,” Tooru told him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Feeling’s mutual,” Iwaizumi replied. He paused. “Well? Are you going to leave?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Tooru said primly. “This is where the plumberries are, and where the plumberries are is where I’m staying.” He glanced at Makki and Mattsun standing behind Iwaizumi, and felt a twinge of guilt stab his gut. “But—maybe I won’t chop down any more trees. I can—I can harvest the berries some other way.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iwaizumi’s face brightened, though he didn’t quite smile. “Really?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whatever,” Tooru huffed. “I’m not doing it for </span>
  <em>
    <span>you, </span>
  </em>
  <span>stupid. I’m doing it for Makki.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Makki chirped a little noise of happiness, darting back into the burned house to leap onto Tooru’s bed and shower him with fox affection. Tooru laughed and pet his head, smiling down at the little creature. A moment later, Mattsun poked his head over the side of the bed, looking up at Tooru curiously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Mattsun,” Tooru greeted. “Are you Makki’s friend?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mattsun nodded. Tooru held out a hand for him to sniff. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Any friend of Makki’s is a friend of mine,” Tooru told him, and grinned when Mattsun clambered onto the bed as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“<em>I’m</em> Makki’s friend,” Iwaizumi said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t count,” Tooru replied flippantly. “Stupid Iwa-chans are exempt from the deal.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. “Iwa-chan?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why are you still here?” Tooru asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iwaizumi scoffed. “You’re intolerable.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Proud of it, too, babe,” Tooru said, grinning brightly at him. “But I thought we were done here. I’m not chopping down any more trees, so you don’t really have to be here.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whatever,” Iwaizumi snapped. “But I’ll be keeping an eye on you. Makki, Mattsun, come on.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mattsun and Makki both bid Tooru a quick goodbye via gentle headbutt to the chest, then followed Iwaizumi out the door and into the plumberry forest beyond Tooru’s home. Tooru sighed and stood up, stretching as he crossed to the window to pull it open and air out the lingering smoke in the air. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His eyes fell on the tree stump he’d already cut down, with a small circle of stones around its base that Iwaizumi had put there. He sighed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine,” he told himself. “I’m not doing that anymore.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m telling you, Daichi,” the Grand King said, “you will not </span>
  <em>
    <span>believe </span>
  </em>
  <span>what happened after that first night.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi frowned. “Well, what happened?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Grand King stuck a gloved hand out the window, waving dismissively. “You’ll have to come back tomorrow if you want to find out.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi blinked. “What—really? How come you can’t just tell me now?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“One milk bread only pays for half of the story,” the Grand King drawled. “Bring me another piece tomorrow and I’ll tell you the rest.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi raised an eyebrow, half amused at the Grand King’s antics. “I think this is just because you want me to bring you more milk bread.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what if I am?” The Grand King huffed. “You’re not getting that story out of anyone else.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi chuckled. “Well, I guess that’s fair.” He stood and walked over to his bike, fastening his helmet before settling down on the seat. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Grand King.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” the Grand King said. His hand hung limp between the cracks in his boarded window. “See you tomorrow, Daichi.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi waved, then took off for home. The smog made his throat itch and his lungs hurt, so he was really hoping the Grand King would make good on his promise to tell him the rest tomorrow. He didn’t think he could stand having to come out here any longer than he already had. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The return to town was largely uneventful, and soon enough Daichi found himself back at the huge, towering wall surrounding Karasuno. He drove up the path to the door, slipping unnoticed back into town. There was nobody around in the alley when he came out the other side, so he rode down the stairs and pressed the button again to deactivate the staircase before driving back toward his home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A quick glance up at the sky told him that he’d been right; he missed his curfew by what seemed like an hour or two, if the darkness of the sky was anything to judge by. The streets of Karasuno were mostly deserted, as everyone else had returned to their homes for the night by that point. Daichi increased his speed, not willing to stand out and draw attention to himself by lingering too long after dark.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a figure waiting by the door of the apartment complex when Daichi arrived. Daichi parked his bike, approaching the door and the figure with caution until he drew close enough and realized it was only Asahi. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Asahi,” he greeted. “What are you doing out here?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>doing out here?” Asahi demanded, walking closer to Daichi. “It’s three hours past sundown!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ukai’s rhyme was right,” Daichi told him. “The sun doesn’t shine out there; it’s impossible to tell what time it is.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Asahi frowned. “Suga seemed disappointed I wasn’t you,” he said. “Are you sure you don’t want to let go of this—I dunno—this weird dream you have of achieving the impossible? I mean, trees don’t exist anymore, Daichi. It’s not like the Grand King can give you one.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe he has a seed in that old house of his. If anyone would, it’d be him.” He paused, thinking of the Grand King and how sad he seemed as he told his story. Sad and remorseful. “And even if he can’t—at the very least, I want to know what happened to them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Asahi gazed down at him, his frown deepening by the second, before finally he sighed and shook his head. “You’re crazy,” he declared. “But fine. One more day, and then I’m done lying for you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi grinned, slinging an arm around Asahi’s shoulders and pulling him in close. “Lucky for you, one day is all that I need.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next morning, after meeting up with Asahi behind the bakery and handing off the day’s deliveries, Daichi set off for the wall with a newfound determination to get the rest of that story out of the Grand King. If he was being honest with himself, he started all of this for Suga, but somewhere along the way he’d become actually invested in the story of what happened to the trees that used to populate the earth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>However, when he reached the wall where he’d found the door the day before, Daichi saw that someone was waiting for him. He couldn’t tell who it was, but the sight of the sleek, black car with tinted windows sitting at the mouth of the alley filled his gut with dread. Daichi stopped his bike next to the car, watching as a very tall man in a suit and black sunglasses got out of the front seat and opened the backseat. Another man stepped out, this one in loose-fitting exercise clothes. He was old, but there was something familiar about his face that Daichi couldn’t put his finger on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sawamura, right?” the man asked, and Daichi recognized that voice—that was Ukai Sr., the man who invented fresh air and saved all of Karasuno when the pollution got to be too dangerous for people to live there anymore. He was also Ukai-the-delivery-man’s grandfather, which explained why he looked familiar.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Daichi said. “That’s me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right,” Ukai Sr. said, narrowing his eyes. “You weren’t heading out of town just now, were you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Daichi lied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ukai Sr. narrowed his eyes. “You seem like a reasonable young man. I don’t have to tell you the dangers that going outside of town poses, do I?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daici shook his head. “No, sir.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ukai Sr. nodded. “Good. Well, you best be off. I think Azumane’s having troubles with one of the delivery orders.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi blinked, feeling the blood drain out of his face. “How’d you know?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know everything,” Ukai Sr. replied, stepping back into his car. “Remember, Sawamura. If you leave town—I’ll know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The suited man closed the door, slid back into the front seat, and then the car sped off, leaving Daichi staring in shock. He frowned and glanced down at the bag at his side that held the Grand King’s milk bread, only to realize with a start that it </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>the bag of milk bread. No, it was a bag of peach-plum pastries. Suga’s order. He must’ve labeled the bags wrong when he left that morning. Daichi cursed under his breath, glancing back at the wall behind him. The Grand King would be waiting for him, and he might not be willing to tell Daichi the story if Daichi went back on another day. But—Suga and Asahi were also waiting for him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck,” Daichi muttered, revving his bike’s engine and preparing to leave the wall behind. Maybe he just wasn’t meant to know what had happened to the trees. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Sawamura,” a voice called. Daichi frowned, looking around until he saw two teenagers, likely around his age, lingering near the mouth of the alley. One of them was sporting a truly awful bedhead, the other with longer hair dyed blond. His roots seemed to have grown out, though. “You wanna get out of town?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi hesitated before he replied, “Yes.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bedhead grinned. “I can help you with that,” he drawled. “For a price, of course.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi frowned. “I don’t have a lot of money.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I know,” Bedhead replied, practically </span>
  <em>
    <span>purring. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He reminded Daichi of a cat. “I don’t want your money.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi opened his mouth to ask just what he wanted, but Bedhead’s friend, Dye Job, interrupted him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kuroo, stop being so ominous,” he chastised. To Daichi, he said, “He just wants a free pastry from your mom’s bakery.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi glanced back at Kuroo, who just grinned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Guilty as charged,” he said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s easy,” Daichi replied. “I can bring you one tomorrow, or if you go into the bakery and I’m not there just tell my mom you’re a friend of Daichi’s. Now, how do I get over that wall?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Follow me,” Kuroo said, kicking off the wall and starting down the sidewalk. He turned into the alley, but he strangely walked past the panel where Daichi had pressed the button to reach the door the day before. “The wall isn’t fastened properly right,” he paused, grunting as he moved a metal panel away from the wall and revealed a hole big enough to ride Daichi’s bike through, “here. There you go. Careful of the cameras.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi blinked. “Cameras?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kuroo pointed at something near the end of the alley. Daichi squinted, and realized with a start that there were cameras all around this area. “Ukai’s got ‘em all over town. How do you think he keeps us all in line?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Daichi breathed. “Right. Thanks, Kuroo.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t mention it,” Kuroo replied. “Have fun outside of town. What are you even doing out there?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll explain later,” Daichi said, and then he took off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi remembered his predicament as he neared the Grand King’s rickety house, lowering the kickstand on his bike and approaching the doorbell. This time, he remembered the hammer ahead of time and dove off of the porch before it appeared to smash the porch, coughing as his landing sent dust flying through the air. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have milk bread!” he hollered, standing up and brushing off his clothes. “But I do have pastries! I mixed up the bags.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Grand King was quiet for a moment, before he finally lowered the bucket and said, “Send it up. I’ll decide if it’s worth it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi did as told, placing the pastry bag into the bucket and watching as the Grand King pulled the bucket and its contents into his window. He didn’t say anything right away, though Daichi heard the distant crinkling of paper to tell him that the Grand King had at least opened the bag. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are these?” the Grand King eventually asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Peach-plum pastries,” Daichi replied. “My—friend’s favorite.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So this friend of yours,” the Grand King called back, sounding like he was grinning. “They got my milk bread?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Most likely,” Daichi said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And this friend of yours,” the Grand King continued, “they wouldn’t happen to be the reason why you’re out here, are they?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi flushed. “What? No! Why would you think that?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Grand King laughed. “You don’t look like the type to give a fuck about trees, is all.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi frowned. “What kind of person do I look like?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Grand King hummed, apparently considering his answer. “I dunno, maybe the captain of a sports team? You definitely look like a jock.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t even play a sport,” Daichi told him. “I deliver things for my mom’s bakery and I want to know what happened to the trees.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hm,” the Grand King said. “I guess looks really can be deceiving. Anyway, where were we?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next morning, Tooru woke up with the scent of charred wood stuck in his nose and his throat unbearably dry. He sat up with a stretch, frowning as he got ready for the day. The single jar of plumberry jam he’d managed to make had apparently survived the wreckage of the fire, so Tooru grabbed that and stepped outside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iwaizumi was waiting outside his door when Tooru exited his home, sitting on the ground and playing what looked like some kind of card game with Makki and Mattsun. He looked up and raised an eyebrow at the sight of Tooru, grunting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“To town,” Tooru replied. “To sell my invention.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iwaizumi’s eyebrow climbed a little higher on his forehead. “Which is?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru presented the jar. “This. Plumberry jam. It’s gonna be all the rage, Iwa-chan.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iwaizumi snorted. “You chopped down one of my trees for </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>? A stupid jar of mashed up berries?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru glared. “It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>jam. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It’s a real thing. Which you’d know, if you spent your days around real people instead of playing cards with woodland creatures.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m playing poker,” Iwaizumi said. He nodded toward Makki. “He’s playing go fish.” Mattsun darted forward and snagged a card from the pile in the center, eating it in one bite. “And Mattsun’s hungry.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru rolled his eyes. “I didn’t ask. Anyway, I’m off to go get rich!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I didn’t sell it the first day,” the Grand King told Daichi, sounding a tad bitter. “Or the next, or the next, or the day after that, or at all for the whole first week. Eventually, I gave up.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How’d it go?” Iwaizumi asked as Tooru trudged back to his home, sans jar of jam. “Did you finally sell it?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru shook his head. “I think the wonders of plumberry jam are ahead of its time.” He glanced down at their small circle where they were playing cards again, and took his seat beside Makki. Makki moved over to sit in his lap, allowing Tooru to stroke his back as he tried and failed to play what looked like solitaire while Iwaizumi played canasta and Mattsun ate people’s cards every once in a while. Tooru reached over and scratched behind Mattsun’s ears. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You do know there are plumberries all over the place, right?” he asked the tanuki. “You don’t have to eat cards if you’re hungry.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See, at this point, I think that eating the cards is how he plays the games,” Iwaizumi told Tooru. “He probably thinks he’s offering, like, some kind of obstacle to keep Makki and I from winning.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru snickered. “How can either of you win if you’re playing two different games?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iwaizumi just shrugged. “What’re you gonna do now that your get rich quick scheme didn’t pan out?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru hummed. “Dunno. I might stay here. It’s kind of nice out here. Plus, it seems like those plumberries change their flavor every time I eat one, so I’ll never get sick of them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s what they do,” Iwaizumi confirmed. “They change flavor to match whatever they’re being eaten with, but if you eat them on their own they change flavors to match your mood.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh,” Tooru said. “That’s kinda cool.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Abruptly, the ground beneath them began to shake. Tooru exchanged glances with Iwaizumi, but he looked as confused as Tooru felt. Together, the two of them stood and ran up the nearest hill, squinting to see what was going on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru’s eyes went wide. “That’s a lot of people,” he breathed. What seemed like thousands of people were flooding the plumberry valley, heading straight for Tooru and iwaizumi. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iwaizumi didn’t say anything as the people enveloped the two of them, clamoring toward Tooru in demand for their very own jars of plumberry jam. Tooru grinned, laughing incredulously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Iwa-chan!” he exclaimed. “They like it! They really like it! I’m gonna be </span>
  <em>
    <span>rich!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But when he turned to look for him, strangely, Iwaizumi was nowhere to be found. Tooru shrugged, allowing himself to be swept up in the crowd’s enthusiasm as they threw money at him, volunteered to work for him, to help him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Plumberry jam was going to be big, and Tooru was going to be rich. He had everything he’d ever wanted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So why did he wish someone else was here with him? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not a month into having his new business, one of Tooru’s employees came to him as he was drawing up plans for the plumberry jam factory. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh, Oikawa?” they asked, seeming to fidget nervously under his gaze. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hm?” Tooru asked. “What do you need?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The employee shrunk back slightly. “We aren’t making jam fast enough to satisfy public demand.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru blinked. “Oh. Why not?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another employee joined the other at the window. “Harvesting the berries individually takes too long.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru frowned. “Do you guys have another idea of what we could do to speed up the process?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The employees exchanged glances. “Well—we were, uh, hoping you did.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru paused, his gaze falling back on the factory blueprints. His promise to Iwaizumi and Makki and Mattsun echoed in the back of his mind, but it’d been so long since he’d seen any of them that it didn’t seem to weigh on him as much as it used to. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We could chop down the trees?” Tooru suggested. “Then we can harvest the berries all at once, instead of having to climb ladders every time the basket was full.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The employees’ faces brightened. “You’re a genius!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One of them added, “That’s why </span>
  <em>
    <span>he’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>the one who invented plumberry jam! The condiment that goes with everything!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru smiled and waved them away, turning back to his blueprint. He began to sketch idly, wondering why he didn’t feel as proud as he should for being a ‘genius.’ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He knew why, in the back of his mind, but Tooru was getting very good at ignoring the little voice in his head that sounded an awful lot like a pesky Forest Guardian.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not two hours later, he heard a commotion outside his window. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You bastard!” Iwaizumi seethed, raging and stomping up to Tooru’s window. “You mother</span>
  <em>
    <span>fucker! </span>
  </em>
  <span>You </span>
  <em>
    <span>promised </span>
  </em>
  <span>not to chop down anymore trees!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>An employee intercepted him before he could reach Tooru. “I’m sorry,” they lied, their voice saccharine. “But Mr. Oikawa isn’t taking any visitors at the moment.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To punctuate their statement, Tooru pulled the blinds on his window. If he couldn’t see Iwaizumi, he didn’t have to feel so guilty about betraying him. And why would he, anyway? He and Iwaizumi weren’t friends. Iwaizumi didn’t even like him, and Tooru </span>
  <em>
    <span>hated </span>
  </em>
  <span>Iwaizumi. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru peeked out of his window as Iwaizumi continued to argue with the employee outside his window. Makki and Mattsun were circling Iwaizumi’s ankles, glaring up at the nameless employee as they shoved Iwaizumi further away from Tooru’s home. Iwaizumi caught Tooru’s eyes over the shoulder of the employee, his expression turning from angry to desperate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>promised,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he hissed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru’s eyes fell on Makki, who remained even after the employee had ushered Iwaizumi out of sight. “Sorry,” he whispered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Makki turned away. Tooru didn’t blame him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi frowned when the Grand King suddenly fell silent in the middle of telling his story. He was about to open his mouth to ask if he was okay, when the Grand King spoke again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It went on like that for a while,” he said, his voice hollow and suddenly devoid of emotion. “In the interest of expanding my company, expanding my wealth, expanding my everything, I let the employees chop down more and more trees. And I never let myself feel bad about it, because I had—I had friends, I had a girlfriend, I had a million nameless, faceless fans, and I thought that surely I wouldn’t have any of those things if I was really a bad person.” He paused. “I don’t know how many years passed before I saw Iwa-chan again. But I know that when I did, I wasn’t the same stupid kid who came to the plumberry valley. I was—a monster. Greedy and heartless and horrible.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi didn’t know what to say to that, so he remained silent.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It happened while Tooru was alone in his office, drawing up plans for more plumberry jam stores over in Miyagi. He’d been about to finish drawing one of the lines on the external wall, when a voice spoke and startled him into ripping the thin paper. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Happy yet?” the voice asked. Tooru frowned and glanced to his left, only to see Iwaizumi standing on his balcony. He had his arms crossed over his chest, a stern expression on his face. But despite the hard set of his jaw, the harsh lines of his eyebrows, his eyes seemed—</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They seemed </span>
  <em>
    <span>sad. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tooru’s chest tightened at the sight of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>doing here?” Tooru demanded. “How did you even get here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you happy now?” Iwaizumi asked again. “Satisfied? Did you fill that hole deep inside you? Do you feel like you actually amount to something now? Or do you still want </span>
  <em>
    <span>more?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru glared, standing up and crossing to join Iwaizumi on the balcony. “Where do </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>get off?” he demanded. “I haven’t done anything wrong. And, for your information, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>always </span>
  </em>
  <span>thought I was worth something! I just saw that I could be worth </span>
  <em>
    <span>more!" </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Iwaizumi challenged. “Because from where I stand, it looks like you thought you were worthless, so you decided that the only way to be worth a damn was to have more money than you could possibly know what to do with. You came to this valley thinking you were </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and the only way to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything </span>
  </em>
  <span>was to surround yourself with money!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what if I did?” Tooru spat. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m the </span>
  <em>
    <span>richest man alive! </span>
  </em>
  <span>I went and made something of myself, and I won’t apologize for that!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then don’t,” Iwaizumi said, suddenly calm and collected. Tooru’s gut filled with dread. “Just keep expanding your company, expanding your wealth, expanding your social circle until you can’t even see the place you came from.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You need to leave,” Tooru hissed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why?” Iwaizumi asked. “Do I make you uncomfortable? Do I remind you of something? Do I remind you of the promises you made? The man you used to be?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t done anything illegal!” Tooru snapped. “I haven’t done anything wrong! I’m not a bad person now that I have money! If I was really so bad, would I have a girlfriend? Would I have all these friends? Would I have </span>
  <em>
    <span>fans?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iwaizumi scoffed, shaking his head. “The saddest part is that you don’t even </span>
  <em>
    <span>see </span>
  </em>
  <span>it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru frowned. “See what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your friends, your girlfriend, your fans,” Iwaizumi listed, “they aren’t here for </span>
  <em>
    <span>you.”  </span>
  </em>
  <span>He jabbed a finger into Tooru’s chest to punctuate the statement. “They’re here for your money, your fame, your stupid fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>plumberry jam. </span>
  </em>
  <span>They don’t love you, they love your money. And they’ll be gone as soon as you lose it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru stared, speechless, before he remembered himself and sniffed, “Well, then, it’s a good thing I won’t lose it. I’m going to keep growing my company and growing my wealth and growing everything, just like you said. And </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing </span>
  </em>
  <span>is going to stop me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the distance, Tooru heard the now-familiar sound of a fallen tree hitting the ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Iwaizumi started. “That might.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru blinked. “What?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s it,” Iwaizumi told him. “The very last plumberry tree.” He turned to look at Tooru. “So I ask again: Happy yet? Satisfied? Or do you still want more?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru could only stare out at the valley, the valley that was gorgeous, it was paradise, when Tooru found it. Filled to the brim with flowering, berried trees all the way to the horizon, the grass greener than anything Tooru had ever seen. The sun never stopped shining, the birds never stopped singing, and there was never a cloud in sight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now, though? The valley was dead, the grass decaying and dusty. Where trees once stood were lifeless stumps. Everything was tinged grey. The sun didn’t shine on the valley anymore, the sky obscured by a thick cloud of smog. And the only sound to be heard was that of the factory. Tooru couldn’t even </span>
  <em>
    <span>see </span>
  </em>
  <span>a wild animal from where he was standing. Where did they all go? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did this?” he asked, his voice uncharacteristically small. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I tried to tell you,” Iwaizumi told him. “I tried to stop you. A tree falls the way it leans, Oikawa. I just wish you had leaned a different direction.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru blinked, and Iwaizumi was gone, leaving him alone on the balcony.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as Iwaizumi had said, Tooru’s friends moved back to Miyagi, his girlfriend dumped him, and the fans all but dissipated within weeks of the last plumberry tree’s demise. Tooru stood outside his factory as the procession of people he loved left him behind, coughing as he inhaled the noxious cloud of smog. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He really had ruined everything, hadn’t he?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iwaizumi brought up the rear of the parade, followed by seemingly every wild animal that lived in the valley at one point. Tooru saw Makki and Mattsun lingering near Iwaizumi’s heels even as he stopped next to Tooru, the rest of the animals continuing on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where are they going?” Tooru asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iwaizumi sighed heavily. “I’m sending them off.” His eyes drifted back to the factory. “Thanks to you, they can’t live here anymore.” He crouched down, scratching Mattsun behind the ears the way he liked and stroking Makki’s back. “Go on, guys. It’s not safe here anymore.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru watched them join the rest of the animals walking away, unable to speak. He wouldn’t know what to say even if his tongue </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>feel like it was made of lead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here,” Iwaizumi said, dropping something into Tooru’s gloved hand. Tooru stared dumbly down at the seed in his hand, unsure what to do with it. “It can’t be planted in the valley. And it won’t die any time soon. But that’s the very last one.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is it?” Tooru asked, lifting the seed to stare at it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The last plumberry seed,” Iwaizumi confirmed. “The world’s last chance.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru pocketed the seed. “I did this, didn’t I?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Iwaizumi agreed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you leaving, too?” Tooru asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iwaizumi pressed his lips into a thin line. “Yes.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru lifted a hand. “Goodbye, Iwa-chan.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iwaizumi waved back. “Goodbye, Oikawa.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The cloud of smog parted to make way for one single beam of sunlight. Iwaizumi stepped into the beam, and Tooru watched as he shimmered and disappeared, as if he’d never even existed. In his place was a small circle of stones, the one in the center reading </span>
  <em>
    <span>UNLESS. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi stared down at the rock, and the word </span>
  <em>
    <span>UNLESS </span>
  </em>
  <span>stared back at him. “What’s it mean?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know,” the Grand King mused, “I spent every day since Iwa-chan left trying to think of what that one word could mean. Unless.” There was a beat of silence. “Here,” the Grand King said, lowering the bucket. Daichi peeked in the bucket, and saw that a single seed sat in it. “The last plumberry seed. I want you to plant it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Me?” Daichi asked. “Why me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because you rode out here twice just to hear a story nobody else gives a damn about,” the Grand King replied. “You care about trees. It should be you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But nobody else cares,” Daichi replied. “Where am I supposed to plant it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Grand King waved his gloved hand. “I’m sure you’ll figure something out. You seem like the type of person who can make people care about things.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi frowned. “How so?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well,” the Grand King said, “you made me care about you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi was quiet for a moment. “That word—unless. Did you ever figure out what it meant?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” the Grand King replied. “Not until today.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi blinked up at the boarded window. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He left that word for you,” the Grand King said. “Because unless someone like you cares an awful lot, Karasuno will never see another tree until the day the smog swallows it whole.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi stared down at the seed in his hand, then glanced up at the boarded up window. “Why can’t that someone be you? You care.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Grand King laughed humorlessly. “Because I didn’t care enough until I’d already destroyed everything. The trees deserve better than me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi frowned. “Can’t you show the trees that you care now? That you’ve changed?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know, Daichi, when that old spirit gave me that very last seed,” the Grand King started, “I don’t think he ever wanted me to plant it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Daichi asked, furrowing his brow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean that if I planted that seed,” the Grand King explained, “it would still be all about me. And I wouldn’t have learned anything.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Daichi said. “I guess that makes sense.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Grand King hummed. “He made me immortal, too. I don’t think he knew he was doing it, but I realized after a few years that I hadn’t aged a day since Iwa-chan disappeared.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why would he do that?” Daichi asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because,” the Grand King replied. “It’s my punishment. As punishment for destroying the valley, I have to sit here and stare at it all day every day for the rest of eternity. So maybe me giving you the seed is really selfish, because I’m just sick of staring at this dreary landscape.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think it’s selfish,” Daichi told him. “You’re only sick of it because you know it’s your fault. And besides. If you really didn’t want to make up for your mistakes, you wouldn’t have told some random kid your story and given him the last seed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Grand King laughed. “I guess you’re right. Thank you for listening to my story, Daichi.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for telling me, Grand King,” Daichi replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Call me Oikawa,” the Grand King corrected. “I’m not the king of anything anymore.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi smiled, pocketing the seed he’d been given. “Okay. Thank you, Oikawa.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, go on,” Oikawa said, his voice shaking slightly. “Don’t waste what’s left of the daylight.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right,” Daichi said. “I’ll plant this seed if it’s the last thing I do.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know you will,” Oikawa replied, sounding like he was smiling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi turned and drove off, leaving Oikawa and the destroyed valley behind. He had a tree to plant. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi pulled his bike to a stop outside Suga’s house, parking it and hurrying up to Suga’s doorstep. He rang the doorbell once, then twice when nobody answered right away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suga pulled the door open a moment later, frowning. “Daichi? What’s going on?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi grabbed his wrist and tugged him out of the house. “No time to explain!” he said. “Just get on!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He tossed a spare helmet to Suga, already getting ready to drive away. Suga didn’t question it, fastening the helmet and sitting down behind Daichi on the bike, wrapping his arms around Daichi’s waist. The two of them took off, weaving through the winding streets of town until they reached the apartment building. Daichi parked the bike again, not even bothering to take off his helmet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stay here,” he told Suga. “I’ll be right back.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Suga said, though he still looked confused. Daichi ran into the building, sprinting up the stairs and taking them three at a time as he made a beeline for Asahi’s floor. He reached it in a quarter of the time it normally took him, pounding on Asahi’s door until the boy in question opened it with a frown on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Daichi?” he asked. “You’re back?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on!” Daichi said, grabbing Asahi’s hand. “We have to move quickly!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why, though?” Asahi cried, allowing himself to be yanked down the hall toward the staircase. Once they made it back to the bike where Suga was waiting, Asahi pulled free from Daichi’s grasp and asked, “Daichi, what is all of this about?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi pulled out the plumberry seed. “This,” he said, showing it to his friends. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suga’s eyes blew wide. “Is that—”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The last plumberry seed,” Daichi whispered. “We have to plant it in the center of town, where everyone can see it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Damn,” Asahi murmured. “I didn’t think he’d actually give you one.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He?” Suga echoed. “Who’s he?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The Grand King,” Asahi told him. “The last person alive who knows what happened to the trees. Daichi went to see him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Suga said. “Is that why you’ve been making deliveries lately? By the way, did you know you mixed up my order? I got a bag of milk bread.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s my fault,” Daichi said. “I’ll explain later. Right now, we have to get moving before Ukai finds out about the seed and tries to stop us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ukai the delivery man?” Asahi asked, frowning. “Why would he stop you? He’s the one who told you how to find the guy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not him,” Daichi replied. Asahi and Suga’s eyes widened, both of them immediately sitting down on the bike. Daichi raised an eyebrow. “I take it you’re both afraid of Ukai Sr.?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who wouldn’t be?” Asahi asked. “That guy has more money than I’ll make in a lifetime!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He painted over my mural,” Suga said sadly. “I don’t even know how he found out about it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s got cameras everywhere,” Daichi told them, taking his seat on his bike. “It’s how he keeps us all in line.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s just go,” Asahi said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right,” Daichi agreed, and then they were off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They made it to the center of town without incident, parking the bike next to a nearby ‘tree.’ The three of them scrambled off of the bike and toward the grass, only to realize—</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where do we plant it?” Suga cried. “There’s no real dirt anywhere!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There has to be some around here somewhere!” Asahi replied. “Maybe it’s under all the plastic?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But how do we get under this stuff?” Suga asked, knocking his toe against it and wincing at the hollow sound it made. “It’s rock solid!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We break it,” Daichi said, staring at the crane parked nearby thanks to a construction project Daichi didn’t know anything about. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing?” Asahi asked. “What are you thinking? I can tell it’s dangerous. Daichi, whatever you’re thinking, stop thinking it!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Daichi wasn’t listening, already making his way over to the crane. He climbed up into the driver’s seat, starting the ignition. There was a statue of a crow in the center of the green; if he could knock it over, he’d break through the plastic grass and hopefully find some real dirt underneath. Asahi yanked Suga out of the way of the crane as Daichi swung the claw toward the statue. The whole thing didn’t topple as he’d been planning, but its head fell off and smashed into the ground, shattering the plastic underneath. Daichi used the claw to nudge the fallen head out of the way, turning off the crane and running down to join his friends on the ground.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” a passing civilian cried. “They broke Ukai’s statue!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do they think they’re doing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Somebody stop them!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi and his friends exchanged glances, stepping closer to each other as a growing crowd drew near. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Daichi,” Asahi muttered, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Do something.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi stepped forward, holding up the seed. “Wait!” he exclaimed. The crowd stopped moving, falling silent to hear him out. “We needed to break the plastic grass to find real dirt so we could plant this!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” somebody in the crowd asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a seed,” Suga explained, stepping up to stand beside Daichi. He took Daichi’s free hand, shooting him a quick grin before he continued, “The seed of a tree. A </span>
  <em>
    <span>real </span>
  </em>
  <span>tree, not one of those plastic battery-powered things they make in factories.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hold on,” said a familiar voice, and Daichi’s heart climbed up his throat. The crowd parted to reveal Ukai Sr. and his suited goons stepping forward. Ukai Sr. glared down at Daichi and the seed. “Where did you get that?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I talked to the Grand King,” Daichi said. “The last man alive who knows what happened to the trees.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, that’s impossible,” Ukai Sr. retorted. “Because </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>know what happened to the trees.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi’s eyes widened, his face slackening from surprise. “You—what? Then why did you try to stop me from finding out more and leaving town?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because it’s dangerous out there!” Ukai Sr. barked. “I’ve seen what trees did to people before, and I won’t let it happen again! Karasuno is perfect, just the way it is. Now, give me that seed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s not!” Daichi argued. “Karasuno is </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>perfect. If Karasuno was perfect, we wouldn’t have to </span>
  <em>
    <span>pay </span>
  </em>
  <span>for air, because there would be trees to make it for us!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s impossible!” a civilian in the crowd yelled. “Trees don’t make air!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, they do!” Suga told them. “It’s called photosynthesis.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Someone else said, “That’s a made up word, isn’t it?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Haven’t you people ever wondered why there’s a </span>
  <em>
    <span>wall </span>
  </em>
  <span>around Karasuno?” Daichi demanded, turning away from Ukai Sr. to face the crowd. “It’s because the land beyond our town is so horrifically destroyed and polluted that nothing can live there anymore! The sun doesn’t even shine there, the sky is so obscured by smog! And it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>our fault, </span>
  </em>
  <span>because we just keep polluting it more! We have to plant this seed to give back to the earth, or else Karasuno will end up just like the plumberry valley.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s lying,” Ukai Sr. insisted. “That won’t happen to us! We have clean air.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you won’t believe me then I’ll </span>
  <em>
    <span>show you!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Daichi spat, handing the seed off to Suga and heading for the crane. Asahi and Suga followed him up into the cab, both of them silent as Daichi started the crane and began to drive it forward toward the wall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Daichi,” Asahi started, as they neared the edge of town. “You’re going to hit the wall.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s the point,” Daichi retorted, driving forward directly into the wall. The wall shuddered, but otherwise remained intact, so Daichi repeated the motion over and over again until finally the wall came crashing down, revealing the bleak landscape beyond Karasuno. Suga sucked in a horrified gasp behind him, Asahi muttering a surprised curse under his breath. Daichi stepped out of the crane and faced the crowd, glad that they’d all followed him over to the wall. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>what the real world looks like. Do you want that to happen to us? Because it will. We can’t keep living in plastic and artificial things forever! Eventually we’ll pollute so much of the earth that there won’t be anywhere else for </span>
  <em>
    <span>us </span>
  </em>
  <span>to live.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The crowd was stunned speechless. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re out of control,” Ukai Sr. exclaimed. “You can’t just go around smashing the town!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The people needed to see the truth!” Daichi retorted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The people were fine being ignorant!” Ukai Sr. shot back. He glanced around, grabbing someone out of the crowd and yanking them into the center of the group where Daichi and his friends stood. “Get these people on my side.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi found himself staring at Ukai Jr., the delivery man who had set this whole thing into motion. Everyone in the crowd was staring at him, as he fidgeted under such a heavy gaze. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ukai,” Daichi said. Ukai Jr. looked at him. “Please.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ukai Jr. nodded, straightening up as his face set into a stern line. “You all probably don’t know who I am,” he said, “but I’m Ukai. I’m a delivery guy, and the old fart’s grandson. I’m the one who told Sawamura where to find the Grand King. And I think trees might be worth a try. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Real </span>
  </em>
  <span>trees.” He turned and glared at Ukai Sr. “I say let it grow.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Someone else stepped out of the crowd. A young man, probably a year younger than Daichi. “My name’s Akaashi,” he said. “My boyfriend Bokuto went swimming, and now he glows.” He pulled a glowing teenage boy out of the crowd, holding onto his hand. “Which isn’t a good thing, so I say let it grow.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let it grow!” Asahi declared, suddenly speaking up. “You can’t reap what you don’t sow.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah!” the crowd cheered. “Let’s celebrate the world’s rebirth; we say let it grow!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi grinned, exchanging glances with Suga. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A little redheaded girl stepped out of the crowd, followed by her older brother. Hinata and Natsu. “My name’s Natsu! I’m six, and I’ve never seen a tree.” She glanced back at Hinata, who nodded encouragingly. “I want to see one before I’m seven, please, so I say let it grow.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suga laughed, smiling down at her. “My name’s Suga, and I’ve read stories of when trees were everywhere,” he said, squeezing Daichi’s hand. “And nobody had to pay for air, so I say let it grow!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s just one tiny seed,” Kuroo said, grinning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But it’s all we really need, isn’t it?” Kenma asked, shrugging. “All we need to change the life we lead.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The crowd cheered again. “We say let it grow!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe you’re right,” Ukai Sr. said, sighing. “I just—I thought trees were what put people in danger, but I think I see now that it wasn’t trees. It was greed.” He grinned, clapping a hand on Daichi’s shoulder. “I say, let it grow.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi smiled, as the crowd cleared the way for him to return to the center of town, Suga and Asahi following close behind. As he passed, he could hear other civilians murmuring among one another. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Plant a seed inside the earth, just one way to know it’s worth,” one said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let's celebrate the world's rebirth,” another replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let it grow!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s just one tiny seed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But it’s all we really need.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Time to banish all your greed,” Ukai Sr. said, as they finally returned to the center of town. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Imagine Karasuno flowered and treed,” Suga breathed, a pretty smile lighting his features. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let this be our solemn creed,” Daichi declared, burying the tiny seed. “It’s a brand new dawn.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suga leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to Daichi’s cheek, murmuring, “Thank you, Daichi.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi flushed, turning to look at Suga. “Ah, don’t mention it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suga just laughed, squeezing his hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Asahi groaned. “Get a room.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru stepped out of his house for the first time in decades, breathing deep. All around his feet, tiny saplings reached their branches up toward the sky. A flash of movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, and Tooru glanced to the side to see a small tanuki looking at him from behind one of the taller saplings, though it still wasn’t tall enough to hide the animal entirely. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tooru smiled softly, crouching down and holding out a hand for it to sniff. “Hey, buddy,” he murmured. “I used to know someone like you. He was shy at first, too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The tanuki slowly poked its head out, sniffing the air as it crept closer to Tooru until finally it was standing close enough for Tooru to reach out and scratch beneath its chin. The tanuki made a happy little noise, eliciting a pleased chuckle out of Tooru. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see you’ve met Kindaichi,” a familiar voice said, jolting Tooru. Tooru whipped around, only to see Iwaizumi standing behind him, grinning down at him. Tooru jumped to his feet, tackling the other man in a hug. Iwaizumi stiffened at first, but eventually relaxed into the embrace and patted Tooru on the back. “You did good, Oikawa. You did good.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kindaichi the tanuki pressed himself up against Tooru’s legs, drawing Tooru’s attention away from Iwaizumi. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You brought friends,” Tooru said, crouching down to pet Kindaichi again. A small fox approached cautiously from behind, eventually sniffing Tooru and deeming him safe enough to lay down next to and fall asleep. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iwaizumi hummed. “Kindaichi and Kunimi,” he introduced.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello,” Tooru said to the two animals in front of him. “Kindaichi and Kunimi. You have lovely names.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kindaichi headbutted Tooru’s hand affectionately, and Kunimi pressed up a little closer to Tooru’s side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A new plumberry forest, huh?” Iwaizumi asked, staring out at the horizon where what seemed like thousands of saplings were sprouting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As it turns out,” Tooru replied, “some kids over in Karasuno really do care about trees.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Thank you, Daichi, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tooru thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>For everything. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And then he told me that </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>was the reason the Forest Guardian left that word behind,” Daichi said, tracing circles into the back of Suga’s hand with his thumb as the two of them admired Suga’s restored mural. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh?” Suga asked, leaning his head against Daichi’s shoulder. “How come?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi turned and pressed a kiss to the crown of Suga’s head. “He told me,” he said. “That unless someone like you cares an awful lot, nothing’s ever going to get better.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And as Suga smiled up at him, holding his hand and looking at Daichi like there was nothing he loved more, all Daichi could think was </span>
  <em>
    <span>Thank you, Oikawa. For everything. </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>im emo</p><p>i love the lorax a lot ok dont come for me</p><p>i wrote this entire fic with two lorax songs playing on repeat. i have no regrets</p><p>come hang out w me on tumblr @fake-charliebrown or @acedabi &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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